Toe stocking



M. E. YAKIMCH'ICK TOE STOCKING April 4, 1939.

Filed April 29, 1938 W M M Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to wearing apparel and more particularly to an article designed for use on the feet.

. An object of this invention is to provide a device adapted to be worn on the foot of a person which is so constructed as to absorb the moisture or perspiration from between the toes of the Wearer and is designed particularly for use while the wearer is asleep. lc Another object of this invention is to provide means adapted to be worn on the foot of a person for eliminating irritation between the toes of the wearer by absorbing the perspiration between the toes during the time that the wearer 1.3 is asleep. i

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which may be constructed out of flexible material being preferably constructed out of knit Wool or the like 20 which is adapted to cover the toes of the wearer and to engage between the toes while maintaining the balance of the foot uncovered.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists :35 of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown'an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes,

;w variations and modifications thereof may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention mounted on a foot,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device removed from the foot,

Figure 3 is a detail front elevation of the degu Vice, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of this device applied to a foot.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally a sleeve or substantially tubu- 45 lar shaped member which in the present instance is constructed of woven material such as wool or the like and this sleeve or covering member IE] is open at the opposite ends thereof. The covering or tubular member IE! is substantially elliptical co in front elevation and is adapted to engage over the toes only of a foot with one end portion thereof .engaging over the large toe and the other end portion engaging over the little toe. A webbing or divider member H is disposed be- 55 tween the relatively straight portionsA |2 of the covering member H) and is adapted to engage between the great or first toe and the second toe. The length of the webbing H is substantially equal to the length of the larger of these toes. The webbing H is secured as by weaving 5. the material of which the webbing ll is constructed into the material i or if desired, this webbing or partition member H may be secured to the straight portions i of the covering w in any other desired manner. w

A second partition or webbing E3 is disposed between the straight portions IE of the covering It at a point spaced from the first web'bing ll and is adapted to engage between the second and the third toes of the foot. A third webbing w or partition lt is secured at the upper and lower edges thereof to the straight portions IZ of the covering E9 at a point spaced from the webbing or partition E3 and is adapted to engage between the third and fourth toes. A fourth webbing or partition member fl is secured at the upper and lower edges thereof to the covering li] at a point spaced from the webbing M and this fourth webbing |5 is adapted to engage between the little toe and the adjacent or fourth toe.

The covering or sleeve member HI is maintained on the foot by an open strap structure generally designated as Hi. The strap structure 16 comprises a pair of rearwardly convergent strap members Ii and E8 which are secured at their forward ends to the rear .edge of the sleeve or covering member l and converge rearwardly to a point substantially over the arch of the foot. The strap members il and E3 are connected together at their convergent point as at |9 in edge abutting relation and are then continued rearwardly in divergent relation as at 20 and 2| respectively. The divergent portions 29 and 2| are continued by a Us-shaped heel engaging portion 22 which is ntegral with the divergent portions 2% and 2|. In practice, the strap members I'i, IS, 20, 2| and 22 are formed from a single length of strap which is looped upon itself and then tied together at an intermediate point as at |9.

An instep or bottom strap generally designated as 23 is secured to the covering member i and the upper strap E6 and comprises a pair of strap members 263 and 25 which are tied together in edge abutting relation and the forward ends of the Strap members 2x3 and 25 are secured to the lower side of the covering or sleeve member H). At a point substantially coincident with the instep the strap members 24 and 25 diverge outwardly and upwardly as at 25 and 21. The ends of the instep or upwardly projecting strap memu bers 26 and 21 are connected as at 28 and 29 to the U-shaped portion 22 at the juncture between the U-shaped portion 22 and the divergent strap portions 20 and 2|.

In Figure 4 there is shown a slightly modified form of this foot protector wherein a sleeve or covering member Illa is provided of a length sufficient only to engage over the second, third and fourth toes of the foot leaving the first or large toe and the little toe free. The covering member or sleeve IO is provided with an intermediate web |3a and a second intermediate web or partition 14a. The webs |3a and l4EL are similar to the webs |3 and |4 shown in Figures 2 and 3 and are adapted to engage between the second, third and fourth toes respectively as shown in Figure 4. This latter structure is designed particularly for use in `wa-rm weather so that the device will not induce perspiration While it is being worn. The sleeve or covering member Ill is held on the toes by means of a strap structure Hia which is similar in every detail to the strap or holding structure IS disclosed in Figures 1 and 2.

The hereinbefore described device is designed particularly for wearing during the night while a person is asleep and is applied over the bare foot. The sleeve member H] is slipped over the toes with the partition members I l, |3, 14 and IE engaging between the several toes. The rear ends or edges of the partition members are adapted to engage at the juncture between the toes at which point the perspiration normally accumulates and partition members being constructed of absorbent material such as wool or the like will readily absorb any moisture present between the several toes and if desired, these partition members may be medicated or otherwise treated so that where abrasions are present, the skin will be properly treated by the medicant carried by the webbings in addition to the webbings absorbing the moisture. The device -is applied to the foot after the -manner of a -shoe by projecting the toes through the looped portion comprising the U- shaped member 22 and then moving the toes forwardly between the straps ll, 18, V'M and 25 until the toes of the foot vengage on opposite sides of the several partitions -or webbings. This device has been placed in practical use and 'has been found to relieve certain -irritating foot conditions caused by undue perspiration particularly perspiration -arisi'ng between the toes of 'the foot. Due to the 'open construction of the device, the main portion of the foot is entirely open to the atmosphere and only the toes are covered on their upper and lower sides with the front ends of the toes free.

What I claim is:

1. A device as set forth comprising a substantially elliptical-shaped member engageable over the toes of a foot, a plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel webbing members secured interiorly of said elliptical member, a strap member secured to the upper rear portion of said elliptical member and extending over the arch and about the heel of a foot, and a lower strap member secured at its forward e'nd to the lower rear portion of said elliptical member extending rearwardly thereof, said latter strap member` having terminal end portions extending upwardly and secured'at their upper ends to said first strap.

2. A device as set forth comprising a tubular member engageable over the toes of a foot, a plurality of spaced apart partition members secured interiorly of 'said tubular member .and engageable between the toes, an upper strap member secured at its forward end to the rear upper portion of said tubular member and extending over the arch and about the heel of the foot, and a lower vstrap member secured at its forward end .to the lower rear portion of said tubular member, said lower strap member having upwardly extending rear portions secured .at their upper ends to said first strap member at a point substantially coincident with the instep of the foot.

3. A device as set forth comprising a sleeve member open at each end and engage'able over the toes of aV foot, said sleeve member being e'lon- H gated transversely, a p'lurality of spaced apart substantially parallel web members secured in substantially Vertical position to said sleeve member and engageable between the toes of a foot, a pair of rearwardly divergent Strap members secured at their divergent ends to the rear upper portion of said sleeve member, diverging extensions carried by the rear ends vof said Strap members, a substantially U-shaped heel engaging member integral with said divergent :members, a pair of side abutting bottom strap members vsecured at their forward ends to the rear lower portion of said sleeve member, and laterally and upwardly extending extensions lintegral With said bottom Strap members connecting said bottom strap members with the forward end Vportion of said U-shaped member.

MAXUM E. YAKIMCHICK. 

